Post.



PATENTED MAYfl 2, l 9 08.

IW. A. OLIPHANT.

POST. APPLIGAT'ION F1LBD.JAN.3. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

with woes j No. 887,217. PATENTED MAY 12, 190.8. W. A. OLIPHANT.

lPQST. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1908.

z'sHB'ETs-SHET 2.

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WILLIAM A. OLIPHANT, OE PETERSBURQ, INDIANA.

' POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed January 3, 1908. Serial No. 409,185.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known .that I, WILLIAM A. OLI- PH'ANT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Pike and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Posts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved construction of fence postthatgwill possess characteristics of simplicity of construction, andefficiency and durability, in that thepost when set will resist to amaximum degree the ravages of time and the elements and will beotherwise strong in construction and -rigid or stable in position whenonce set, and a further object of the invention is a post of thischaracter embodying particularly an improved construction of post which'may be folded, as will be hereinafter fully described, so as to occupya small amount of Apace during sl'iipment.

With these and other objects in view as' will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the. invention consists in certain construct-ions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that l shall hereinafterfully describe and then point out the novel features in the appendedclaims.

Por a full umlerstanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and aclacompanying drawings, in which: y

Figure l is a persiwctive View of a fence post constructed in accordancewith my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the post; Fig.S is a perspective view of the. base of the post showing it in foldedcondition read)v for shipment. Fig. -t is a fragmentary perspective Viewof one of the plates; Fig. 5 is a xside elevation of another embodimentof my improved fence post, the

upper portion of the post proper being broken awa and the foundationbeing shown in section: l1`ig. o is a horizontal sectional view on theline t---t vof Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a. post slimvingits reinforcing members` folded up against the plates of the post; and,Fig. H is a perspective view of a further embooiment of the invention.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in t-he followingdescription and indicated in all the viewsof the dranings b v the samereference clnn'at-.ters` The base A of' in v improved tence post in thatembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 1 comprisestwo plates 1 which are preferably composed of sheet metal and which areprovided at their lower edges with rivets 2 0r studs that constitutetliefastening means wherebyA to lpivotally secure the lends of thereinforcing members 3 to the plates. In this form of the inven-l tion,the vreinforcing members 3 comprise narrow strips of sheet metal bentinto U- shape as shown with their ends pivotally connected to the lowerends of the plates 1, so that the two reinforcing members may beextended outwardly from the plates 1, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or swungaround the side edges of the plates and over the opposite ends thereofwhereby to securely hold the two plates together and the entire base infolded condition, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Hence, it will be seen thatthe device may be shipped in. a substantially fiat condition, ready tobe extended and set up for use, the

arrangement of the parts being such as to securely holdthe two platestogether when the reinforcing members are swung around over the upperedges of the plates and the entireV baser being thus renderedpractically.

secure from injuryA in handling.

The vplates 1 are formed with bonding openings 4t and the upper edges ofthe. plates are offset or bent inwardly as indicated at 5. The plates 1embrace the lower end of the Ypost proper (i, which may be either ofwood or metal. lf the former, the plates are secured to the boardconstituting the post proper by means of nails or screws as illustratedin the drawing, the plates being formed with openings to receive thefastening devices and being prefer: .bly provided with reinforcing plies7 on their inner faces, said reinforcing plies being riveted orotherwise secured at one or more points to the plates l and being formedwith openings through which the fastening devices extend. YVhgn theplates are secured to the post ti, the offset i edges 5 of the platestit in groovesS formed in the two oil'set faces of the post, thereby lCtassisting in seeming the parts together and dug deep enough to receivethe plates 1 and reinforcing members 2% in extended relation,

the hole being of any desired or predetermined width` (loncrete or anyother similar substance 1s thon poured into-the hole to ltlti Cir form afoundation for the post, as indicated at 9. The said foundationsubstance eX- tends through the openings 4 so as to form a bond and itincases the reinforcing member 3 whereby to secure a firm found ation.Pref erably the foundation extends level with. or slightly' above thesurface of the ground, but preferably terminates short of the postproper, or at least does not extend above such' lower edge.

As the plates l are not connected together except by the reinforcingmembers, it is obvious that they may be fitted to the posts of differentthicknesses according as taste or judgment may dictate, or theexigencies of the caserequire.

ln thltt form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 ad 7, the plates l1 are formed in their lower edges with apertures to receive the loo edends 22 of reinforcing members 33, suc loo ed ends constituting thefastening means w iich pivotally connects the reinforcing members to theplates. In this embodi ment the reinforcing members are of wire, asclearly indicated in the drawings, and they are three in number .andconverge slightly towards their lower or free ends. The two outermostreinforcing members are preferably formed of one piece of wire bent intosubstantially lli-shape, as indicated, with a cross bar 44 around whichthe intermediate or reinforcing member is looped near its outer end,asindicated at 55. y

The plates 11 are formed with bonding openings 66 and the outer edges ofthe plates are oiiset or bent inwardly as indicated at 77 to 'fit ingrooves 99 in the oil'set faces of the post proper 88. kln this forni ofthe invention, 100' designates the concrete foundation, and A designatesthe entire base.

ln that form or embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8, thebase A comprises plates lL to which the looped ends 2a .of thereinforcing members and wires 3 are connected. ln that form of 'theinvention, there are six reinforcing members or wires, all of whichconverge downwardly. Four of these renforcing members are secured to therespective plates l*L above the lower edges thereof and at the sideedges thereof and are arranged in pairs', the members of each pair beinglooped around the'crossbar la of the other two .members, as indicated at5a, these latter being constructed of one integral piece of wire securedatits ends to both plates laL at the lower edges of the same. ln thisarrangement valso, the platos l are formed with bonding openings 6L andwith o'llset edges 7 iitting in grooves 9 of the post proper Sa. In thisembodiment, as well as those above described, the post is held firmly inplace by a foimdation of concrete or similar material.

p in placing the posts, it li-mzrds be used. ,for the ser/,err

From the foregoing description in connec-` tionwith the accompanyingdrawing, will be seen that l have provided a very simple,

'durable and eiicient construction of fence post which may ,be cheaplymade and when set will be firm in place and capable of withstanding harduse. As the wooden portion of the post, if wood be used for, the postproper', 1s held out of contact with the soil, it will not be subjectedto decay as would otherwise be the case, and will therefore last aconsiderable time. i

Havingl thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A fence post comprising a post proper, and a base to which the postis secured, the base comprising plates embracing the Apost and formedwith inwardly turned upper ex? trernities embedded in the post, andreinforcing members secured to and extending downwardly from saidplates.2. A post of the character described, comprising a post proper and abase therefor, the base com rising plates embracing and secured to t elower end of the post proper and extending below the same, andreinforcing members connected at one end to one plate' and at anotherend tothe other plate and arranged to extend' downwardly below theplates.

3.' A post of the character described, com rising a post proper and abase therefor, the ase comprising plates embracing and secured to thepost proper and extending below the same, and. reinforcing membersconnectedl to both of said plates below the lower end ol' the post andadapted, in set up condition to extend downwardly below the.

lower edgeof the plates and yadapt id to foldv into engagement with theface thereof,

4. A fence post base, comprising plates de n, signed to embrace thelower end of t Le fence post and extend below the same, and reinforcingmembers connected to both of said plates and adapted to fold around theside edges thereof.` i

5. A fence post base, comprising plates adapted to be secured to thefence post, and reinforcing members pivotally connected at same andadapted tobe swung laterally over the opposite ends of the plates.

ln testimony whereof l aliiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

lll. A. Olill'jllANT.

' l/Vitnesses:

their ends to both plates at one end of the

